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Tuesday, 9 February 2016

Suspected recruiter of terrorists for ISIS, others, arrested in Nigeria by DSS

The Department of State Security released a statement today stating
that a suspected recruiter of ISIS, and others, have been arrested in
Nigeria. Read the full statement signed by DSS official, Tony Okpuiyo after the cut...DSS Arrests ISIS Recruiter and Other Terrorists - Planned Terrorists Attacks in States Aborted
In
line with the Service statutory mandate to decisively and continually
provide actionable intelligence as well as act to degrade persons and
groups that threaten internal security in the Country, the Service
initiated series of tactical operations, involving raids and enforcement
actions against identified criminal and extremist kingpins and
syndicates across the country.
These
recent operations have significantly degraded the key extremist groups
and kidnapping gangs, terrorizing innocent citizens in the Country,
particularly in the South-West, North-West and Middle-Belt regions of
the Federation.On 17th January, 2016, one Abdussalam Enesi
YUNUSA, a recruiter for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was
arrested in Kano. His arrest was sequel to available intelligence which
indicated his terrorist antecedents and covert drive to indoctrinate and
recruit susceptible youths in the country.
Prior
to his arrest, YUNUSA had completed arrangements to embark on a journey
to join an ISIS terrorist training camp in Libya, with other Nigerians
whom he recruited for the ‘Islamic State’. These recruits include the
trio of one Muhammed RABI’U, Yahaya Momoh JIMOH and Zainab SUNDAY
(f). YUNUSA is a 400 level undergraduate student of the Federal
University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, where he was studying for a
degree in Information and Media Technology.
He
was subsequently radicalized and became a member of an extremist cell,
comprising of one IBRAHIM (fnu) and Abubakar LIGALI, whom he revealed
are currently undergoing terrorist training in Libya. He listed one
AMINU (fnu) and Ibrahim JIHADI (Nigeriene), as other ISIS agents
operating in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. The cell was being
funded by one Abu-sa’ad Al Sudani, a media expert with the extremist
group using Western Union money transfers to fund the terrorist cell
agenda.
On
17th January, 2016, in Daura township of Daura LGA, Katsina State,
another budding extremist cell affiliated to ISIS, was intercepted by
the Service. One Ibrahim Mohammed DAURA, Zaharadeen SALISU and five
other elements of the proscribed extremist group, Ansaru, were arrested
by the Service. This group was discovered in an active stage, as its
members were already co-ordinating themselves for attacks in Katsina and
Kano States.
In
the same vein, on 22nd January, 2016, one Obansa SALAMI, Ejide TIJANI
aka Abu Uwaise II, Mohammed RABIU aka Ubida II, Zainab MOHAMMED and
Abdulqadir Salisu AHMAD were arrested in Kano by this Service, while
migrating to Libya, with their immediate families including infants, in
a bid to join ISIS. This group was apprehended after painstaking
monitoring of its network and plans.
On
29th January, 2016, the Service arrested Mohammed Aliyu NDAKO in Kwara
State. NDAKO is a seventeen (17) year old undergraduate student of a
tertiary institution in the State. He was arrested sequel to credible
intelligence on his plans with one Abdulkadir Salisu AHMAD a.k.a Daddy
Tall, another student in Kano State, to carry out coordinated lone-wolf
attacks on selected populated targets in Nigeria preferably worship
centres or recreation venues. Suspect had hitherto been communicating
with foreign extremist elements, while sourcing online terrorist
training and support.
Within
the window of these tactical operations, between the month of December
2015 and February 2016, the Service, busted the network of syndicated
kidnap gangs spanning different regions in the country, especially
Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger, Nasarawa, FCT, Oyo and Osun States. Foremost in
this line, was the arrest of a gang of five (5) kidnappers, Abubakar
HASSAN, Usman MUSA, Usman ADAMU and Idrisa Babangida AHMADU at Ife
junction, Osun State, on 3rd February, 2016.
On
5th February, 2016, the fifth member of the gang, Saidu ISYAKU was
arrested at Ojo area, Oyo State. These kidnappers, Six (6) AK 47 rifles,
five (5) magazines and about one thousand rounds of ammunition were
recovered. This gang has been active in the South West axis of the
country and were at advanced stages of kidnapping high value targets for
huge ransom, before they were intercepted.
Another
breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping was the killing of
Abubakar MOHAMMED (aka BUBA), and an unidentified member of his group,
on 8th February, 2016 close to Jebba Medical Centre, Jebba, Kwara State
by security operatives as they tried to escape during a shootout with
security operatives. MOHAMMED was a notorious kidnap kingpin known for
his brutality and various acts of lawlessness. It is disheartening that
this criminal and his men had terrorized, to no end, residents of the
South West zone. He was also linked to the kidnap of the elder
statesman, Chief Olu Falae, in Ondo State.In
the wake of deliberate vandalism of oil pipelines by criminal
elements in the South-South region, the Service arrested one Nengi
Samuel IKIBA aka Kockman Abula, a notorious pipeline vandal on 27th
January, 2016, in Bayelsa State. IKIBA confessed to vandalizing several
pipelines in the State, including the 24” Agoda/Brass Oil pipeline at
Idema community in Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State.
The
modest success of the Service in its support to the Federal Government
to achieve its desired economic objectives and stability may also be
noted. To this effect, the DSS have arrested a group of fraudsters who
had concluded plans to hack the Government Integrated Financial
Management Information System (GIFMIS) domiciled in the Office of the
Accountant General of the Federation in order to steal Four Billion,
Five Hundred Million Naira (N4.5b) from the Treasury Single Account
(TSA).
The
gang was led by one Sunny OKOH, a hacker who worked in collaboration
with the trio of Uwem Udo EKPO, a Chief Program Analyst in the OAGF,
Maxwell EKENE, a retired security operative and Dozie EGWU, based in
Malaysia and who is now at large. The suspected fraudsters intended to
use a software they had sourced and codes released to them by EKPO to
hack Government accounts in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and
defraud the Government of this huge sum.
It
is instructive to note that a credibility problem would have arisen
over the TSA policy if these hackers had succeeded in their plan and
thus lend credence to the critics of the policy that it ought not to
have been introduced and implemented. For the avoidance of doubt, the
suspects have been handed over to the EFCC for further investigations
and prosecution.
It
is pertinent to state that these successes were recorded as a result of
proactive and credible intelligence offered by members of the public,
sister security agencies and other stakeholders. This Service wish to
state that it will continue to deploy every means necessary within its
statutory mandate, and armbit of the law to ensure the security and
safety of all law-abiding residents and citizens wherever they reside.It
is also germane to urge all and sundry to be extra-vigilant, as well as
report any suspicious persons/groups or activities to relevant security
agencies, for the sustenance of relative peace in the country